Abyss / Ekah by 99 Art Company

A Festival of Korean Dance 2026

Dancers in long black dresses, each holding a white origami boat, twirl dramatically behind a person in a white costume with a flamboyant hairstyle, seated beside several metallic candles.
Abyss by 99 Art Company. Photo by Lee Dohee

About Abyss / Ekah by 99 Art Company

99 Art Company returns to the UK following 2024’s audience favourite Burnt Offering which won the Grand Prize at the 2024 Seoul Arts Awards,with a double-bill exploring the power of art to connect and drive change.

Abyss draws on the principles of traditional Korean dance and contemporary movement to explore 'han' — a deep, unspoken sense of sorrow and resilience. Through fluid, meditative choreography, the dancers move like a small boat carried by waves of joy and grief, inviting audiences to feel the full spectrum of human emotion.

In our modern world, time rushes by without a moment to mourn what is lost. Ekah is a duet between a female dancer and a male pianist which contemplates grief: when to resist and when to confront it. Choreographer Hye-rim Jang extends an invitation to take conscious pause together and hold our own ceremony of remembrance through music and dance.

This performance will be followed by a Post Show Talk.

5 Stars

An outstandingly beautiful, soulful, hypnotic performance... a truly incredible piece.

Green Room Review on Burnt Offering (2024)

About 99Artcompany

Founded in 2014, 99 Art Company is a group of like-minded artists led by choreographer Hye-rim Jang, who focus on expressing Korean traditions through contemporary stories.

Since Hye-rim Jang was selected as Best Choreographer by Critics’ Choice in 2015, the company has participated in major platforms including the Seoul International Performing Arts Festival (2016, 2018, 2020) Italy’s Operaestate Festival (2019), the Russian Open Look Festival (2020), the Italian Cultural Institute (2021), the Brazilian SESC Dance Biennale (2021), and Singapore’s SIFA (2023). The company remains committed to meaningful artistic encounters, creating works that resonate deeply with audiences around the world.

IG: @99artcompany

Cast & Creatives

99 Art Company

Artistic Director: Hye-rim Jang

Deputy Artistic Director: Seo-yi Jang

Rehearsal Directo: Go-woon Lee

Project Producer: Jean Uh

Company Manager: Ji-won Choi

Lighting Operator: Na-yeoung Hong


Abyss

Dancers: Go-woon Lee, Hyo-young Song, Eun-yi Kim, Seo-yi Jang, Se-ryoung Choo, Seung-a Lee, Soo-kyung Lee

Vocalist: Jin-sirl Suh

Choreographer: Hye-rim Jang

Writer: Joo-hee Lee

Vocal Trainer & Chorus, Composer: Jin-sirl Suh

Lighting Designer: Keon-young Kim

Music Director & Arranger, Composer: Young-jo Leem

Costume Designer: Kyoung-sul Bae

Prop Design: Yu-jin Kim

Music copyright: Jonsi & Alex ‘Howl’


Ekah

Dancer: Hye-rim Jang

Musician, Composer and Music Director: Daniel Kang

Writer: Hye-rim Jang

Costume Designer: Line Plant

Prop Idea: Tae-yang Lee

Credits

Part of A Festival of Korean Dance 2026, presented by The Place and the Korean Cultural Centre UK, in partnership with Lowry, Tramway, Dance City and Pavilion Dance South West, and supported by SIDance and MODAFE.

  • From a perspective view, five dancers in black dresses perform on a dimly lit stage, captured in a synchronised pose with their bodies bent forward and arms laced around their stomachs.
  • On a dimly lit stage, five dancers in black dresses perform in a triangular formation, gradually lowering in height, each holding a white origami boat. Facing them, a figure dressed in white with an abstract hairstyle sits apart, gazing at the dancers, creating an emotional atmosphere.
  • On a dimly lit stage, a performer in black bends forward at centre stage. Behind them, a group of dancers – some standing in line, others seated – creating a calm, introspective atmosphere.
  • Seven dancers in long black dresses perform on a dimly lit stage in unison, each holding a white origami paper boat above their head. They are standing with their legs apart, knees slightly bent, and their left arms extend sideways.
  • A black-and-white image features a dancer in a dark, shimmery costume striking a dramatic seated pose on stage, kneeling down on the floor. Their arms are raised above the head, partly obscuring the face, in dim lighting. In the background, a softly blurred piano.
  • On a dimly lit stage, a person sits at a piano with their back to the viewer, while another reclines atop it, looking upward and stretching their arms over the instrument, creating an expressive, eerie mood.